Category: Health and Wellness

Today is the first day of my 30-Day Vegan Challenge, and I’m excited! After work in a previous “career” in agriculture, I learned a lot about how different foods are produced, and the effects which some of the things which are used to produce foods have on our bodies. For example, many foods are produced with pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and nematocides— natural and articifically-developed chemicals which could impact human reproduction, hormonal balance, and so on.

So, why am I embarking on this challenge?

The answer is multi-faceted, so here goes:

Yes, I want to lose weight! I’ve gained a lot of weight within the past few years after suffering from an illness, and I need the weight to go away!

I want my lean, flexible, and strong physique back— and this time, I’m keeping it!

I feel great when I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, so I’ve decided to give my body more of the healthy foods it’s been craving.

The things I’ve learned about food production have caused me to look at food differently. Therefore, I want to produce and consume foods that are as fresh, clean, and natural as possible.

I want to inspire others to be as healthy as they can be.

I want to feel and look my best.

I want to stop eating meat altogether, and be a lifelong vegan— it just seems healthier than consuming meat.

I’m interested in learning about the variety of fruits and vegetables which I can eat for optimal health (and to satisfy my curiousity about different foods).

Foods from the ground are generally full of vitamins and nutrients, and there’s nothing like being nourished with good whole foods.

I like to try new things and challenges can help us to build character and to grow in our walks of life.

So, what do I expect during my 30-Day Vegan Challenge?

I expect:

To lose weight.

To feel and look healthier.

To decrease my desire to eat unhealthy foods.

To inspire others that they can have their best bodies, and enjoy good overall health.

To give people ideas on how they can make small, and simple, changes which can have big and positive results in their overall health, fitness, and life, in general.

To inspire others to lead healthy lives.

To gain an appreciation for healthy eating and living.

To successfully complete this 30-Day Vegan Challenge— I like good challenges every now, and then.

To be an example of the positive change which I want to see in the people I love, and in the community where I live.

To set the tone for how I want to live the rest of my life— a life full of good and healthy habits which can influence others to do, and be, their very best!

So, what about you?

Do you have a challenge which you want to overcome? And, have you ever embarked on a challenge of this sort? Leave your comments below. Be sure to let me know if you are participating in any kind of health, or fitness challenge, and share the details! We can learn from each other.

So, among other things, I decided to be a vegetarian this week, and to see how I feel about continuing this interesting lifestyle next weekend. I want to see how a few simple changes in my life can make big and positive changes. I expect to post the results on next Sunday. Even if I don’t decided to continue to be a vegetarian, I have decided that I will consume a mostly plant-based diet. But, my goal is to eventually become a vegetarian— the reasons for which I expect to discuss at a later time.

This decison was inspired by other people’s good and bad health experiences as a direct result of their diets and lifestyles, and my personal battle with sickness which had lasted several years. (I expect to share more about my story at a later time.) I have watched people change their diets to live some very wholesome and healthy lives, and I want to continually the same “healthy and active lifestyle” I enjoyed not long ago.

I will be combining my vegetarian diet with daily cardio, and some strength training, body weight and kettlebell workouts throughout each week. (I can post my actual routines later this week, or next week.) And, if you’re wondering what exactly I’ll be eating, just know that I have lots of dark, leafy vegetables, apples, lemons, carrots, snap peas, and chocolate almond milk to accompany my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have lots of other fresh fruits and vegetables, and a Women’s vitamin supplement and Super B Complex from Garden of Life. So, I’m covered in the nutrition department.

I’m not “sick” anymore, and I’m no longer bewildered and at a standstill in my life concerning what I’ve been through. So, it’s time to get moving, and to take control of my health— and my life— again.

Hopefully, my story will help and encourage someone else to bounce back after infirmity, challenges and difficulty.

Before I was sick, one of my “hobby-goals” was to be a certified fitness trainer so that I could help others to realize their firness goals in my freetime. That goal still hums in my heart, and someday, I expect to accomplish it. I also expect to return to the dance studio to continue to study, perform and teach dance, participate in marathons, and to continue to live the healthy, active lifetsyle I’ve enjoyed most of my life— and, I will.

I’ll eventually start posting my stats and progress photos. I’m using my Fitbit equipment to track my performance and progress. I have a FitBit Aria scale, and a Zip and Charge HR tracker to help me along the way.

Here’s to good health, moving around and healthy living!

So, tell me your story. What are your health and/or fitness goals, and what are you doing to make them a reality in your life? Post your responses in the comments section, or under my post for this at Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.